


A Life of Everlasting Love

by InkLightning



Category: Puyo Puyo (Video Games)
Genre: Death, Devotion, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Honeymoon, Love, M/M, Marriage, Same-Sex Marriage
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:35:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 17,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27530881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkLightning/pseuds/InkLightning
Summary: I want to cherish these precious memories with you... even just one of them is more than enough for us...My love... I don't want these memories to ever stop. So... can't we just... live?
Relationships: Dapper Bones/Dapper Bones' Lover
Kudos: 10





	1. An Unexpected New Beginning

He wanted it to last forever. A warm dream of being lost in the sounds of mayflies flitting over a vast lake. The soft sounds of leaves rustling in the wind. Being held in the strong arms of a lover. His breath hitched when he slowly opened his eyes, hoping to see that lover smiling right back at him. He didn’t. He had his gaze on a wooden bedside table. There was a little plush toy resting on the top of it. It was a gift, hand stitched by Lemres, who told him that should he ever feel lonely, he would hold it in his hands and cuddle it. Dapper’s fingers feebly felt for a face that was not there on that bedside table. It had been six months since he had began to reconnect with his memories and see them in a new light with Lemres. That man was a wonderful help to him, and he really felt a weight was lifted off his chest every time he talked to him. He will never forget such a man who was more understanding and compassionate than Lemres. He will never thank him enough for how willing he was to help him work through the pain of his memories. He can never imagine how destructive it will be to lose him to old age, disease or anything else of the sort. His breathing began to distort as he curled his hand against his bed. He began quietly sobbing into his pillow.

“Come back… Come back…” he whispered, his voice too hoarse to start wailing. He had been in denial that his dream was anything other than real. His lover’s tender warmth, his soft gentle breathing, his deep, smooth voice… they all seemed too real. And what he had said… he would always be his beloved. Even though he was undead. He never stopped loving him, after all these years. Dapper felt terrible. Even though his feelings for him were mutual, he will never look at his lover the way he did when he was alive. There was one thing Lemres had never been able to help Dapper with. His death. He had killed himself the night the lord disappeared. Every time he looked at himself in those photos, he would be reminded of the way he felt after his lord disappeared. Desolate. Completely, utterly alone. His lover was someone whose mere presence would calm him, soothe him, stabilize him… but now he was gone, and Dapper was tormented with visions of him as if he were still alive.

He sobbed hard into the pillow. He wanted it to stop. He wanted the pain to stop, and just… move on. He just wanted to see his lover again and start anew. He missed him. He reached out and grabbed the plush toy with his right hand and clutched it close to his ribcage. He wondered if he was just hurting Lemres at this point. Despite all he had done for him, he felt like he was just becoming a burden that Lemres must see too every day. Lemres didn’t see it that way. He was willing to help Dapper’s troubled heart and ease his pain. And that was what hurt Dapper the most. He relied on Lemres far too much. At first, Dapper saw him as an angel, someone who reached out and led him out of darkness. Now though… He saw Lemres as a time bomb. Sooner or later… Dapper would end up falling for him. He didn’t want to hurt Lemres’ feelings or get in the way of his life.

But…

Dapper’s mind was suddenly derailed when he heard the door open and footsteps down to his room. He snapped his head back and saw Lemres… in a tuxedo? Very odd. Sitting up, he watched Lemres come closer to him. Lemres could see that Dapper had been crying.

“Dapper… is everything OK?” he asked.

Dapper opened his mouth slightly, but he was unable to speak. He only stared at Lemres.

“Lemres… why are you…”

Lemres got out a small box. He handed it to Dapper, who opened it. Dapper’s eyes widened. It was a wedding ring.

“Lemres… You can’t be serious…”

Dapper looked up to Lemres.

“You want to marry me?!”

Lemres laughed. “Oh, no. That’s not what I meant by that. I’m just your best boy.”

“Best boy!?” Dapper cried. “What do you mean by that?”

“You’re going to marry someone else.” Lemres replied.

Dapper stared at Lemres, dumbfounded. “But…”

Dapper stopped for a moment. He was scrambling for who could possibly want to marry him. Looking back up at Lemres, he asked him something.

“ _Who_ wants to marry me?”

Lemres smiled at him. “I can’t answer that right now.” He knelt down and put down a bag. Opening it, he gave Dapper a large folded up piece of clothing.

“Here. Wear this.”

“What is this?” Dapper asked.

“Unfold it. You’ll see.” Lemres replied.

Dapper unfolded the pile and stood in shock. The clothing was a beautiful white tuxedo, with a long beautiful pair of coattails that fell past Dapper’s feet. Lemres got out a white top hat and placed in on Dapper’s head. Handing him a mirror, he let Dapper check himself. Dapper stared at his reflection in the mirror for a long time. Looking back at Lemres, he wasn’t sure what to think.

“This has to be a joke.” He murmured. “Why dress me up to marry someone I don’t know?”

Lemres chuckled.

“You’ll be surprised when you meet him.” He replied, getting out a white veil. He clipped it on to Dapper’s hat rim, obscuring his face almost completely from view.

“Th-This is ridiculous!” Dapper stammered. “What if I trip on the coattails?!”

“Don’t worry. I’ll hold your hand.” Lemres replied gently, taking Dapper’s hand. He led Dapper out of his room, and up the stairs to the shop floor. Stopping for a moment, Lemres saw a bouquet of purple hydrangea flowers on the counter. He gave it to Dapper.

“What is it I’m holding?” Dapper asked as Lemres placed the bouquet in his hands.

“It’s a bouquet, Dapper.” Lemres answered. Taking his hand again, Lemres led out of the shop.

As Lemres lead Dapper towards some aisle somewhere, Dapper heard voices either side of him.

“Congratulations, Dapper!” Arle called out, happily.

“Gu-Gu!!” Carbuncle chirped.

Dapper couldn’t recognise the first voice could have been Arle until Carbuncle had called out. He smiled. At least he knows people will be seeing him off to this strange new beginning. Eventually, he heard cheering from both sides. Amitie, Klug, Raffina, all the people of Primp were cheering for him. Then they went silent. Dapper felt Lemres’ hand slip off of Dapper’s. He suddenly found himself alone.

“Lemres? Where did you…?”

“Over here.” A deep voice sounded. Dapper turned his body towards the source of the noise. He suddenly felt the veil being pulled back. Blinking several times, he focused his eyes to try and readjust to the light. He stared up at a handsome man with tanned skin, long pointed ears and large bug like red horns.

Dapper’s eyes widened exponentially.

It can’t be…

The man standing before him…

Was…

“We are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of these two lovers.” A vicar spoke. “Their love and understanding of each other has persisted throughout the ages, and never stopped even as they were torn apart. Now they have decided to live their lives together through sickness and in health, until death do them part.”

Dapper kept his eyes on the lord. He was completely still and silent, staring up at him with wide eyes. The lord smiled down on him.

“Hello.” He said softly.

Dapper’s eyes began to spill with tears. His lover’s voice was as beautiful as he last remembered it. Snapping his gaze from his lord, he stopped himself from bursting into tears. Looking back up at him, he weakly whispered “This can’t be real.”

The lord stroked Dapper’s face with his hand. Dapper’s breath hitched in his throat. And he realised it. Of course this wasn’t a dream. Lemres… Amitie… Everyone was smiling at him and his lover.

This was **_real_**.

“You may say your marriage vows now.” The vicar said.

“I take you, my love, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer, for poorer, through sickness and in health til death do us part, and this is my solemn vow.” The lord spoke, taking the ring Dapper was hiding in the bouquet. He put the ring on his finger, then handed Dapper a ring of his own.

Dapper trembled violently as he continued to look at his lord. Swallowing hard, he whispered “I…”

Dapper could not speak. He could only stare at his lord on the verge of completely breaking down in tears. He held his lover’s face in his hands. It doesn’t need saying. The vicar didn’t even need to say he should kiss his groom. Because he had already flew into his lover’s arms and pressed his teeth against his lips. Everyone burst into a fit of cheers.


	2. Honeymoon

The lord held Dapper close to him as they lay on the bed. They had chosen to vacate to a faraway island far away from Primp for their honeymoon. There was a beautiful hotel that offered honeymoon discounts for the pair, and they got them the best and most comfortable room they had. Dapper snuggled close to his lord’s chest, feeling his warmth and heartbeat. The lord wrapped his arms around his lover’s frame, on the verge of falling asleep.

“Honey… don’t fall asleep on me.” Dapper moaned quietly. The lord smiled at him.

“I won’t, darling.” He replied. “But what about you?”

Dapper giggled tenderly. He ripped himself from his lord’s chest and kissed him on his lips.

“I just like being with you.” He whispered. “I’ve waited so long to see you again.”

The lord smiled, nuzzling Dapper’s face. His ears drooped slightly, a tinge of a sad feeling creeping into his train of thought. He wondered if he should tell his lover about it. But he didn’t want to ruin the wonderful moment they were having together. He just wanted Dapper to be happy. Dapper noticed the lord’s unease.

“Is something the matter?” he asked.

The lord saw Dapper’s worry and swallowed.

“I’ve been thinking about something.” The lord admitted.

“What is it you’re worried about?” Dapper asked.

The lord hesitated to respond. He didn’t want to upset his lover by telling him what was on his mind. But it wouldn’t be right to lie to him either.

“Dapper… I have been thinking about what will happen to you when I die.”

Dapper froze at the lord’s response. He couldn’t imagine hearing these words coming out of his lover’s mouth.

“When I was sealed away, you… became a member of the undead. I know that in your condition, you have and will probably continue to exist for a very long time. When the time comes that I eventually move on myself… will you be willing to wait for the time where we can finally meet?”

Dapper could not respond. He simply stared at his lover with glazed eyes. He shook his head, holding back a sob.

“Stop it.” He whispered.

The lord flinched at Dapper’s soft whisper. “Dapper, I…”

“STOP IT!! JUST STOP IT!” Dapper suddenly screamed.

The lord recoiled at his lover’s sudden cry. He sighed softly, with remorse.

“Dapper… I…” The lord tried to start.

“I have waited… too long to hear you think about the future.” Dapper sobbed. “What matters to me… is right now. I know that one day… you’ll be dead, and I’ll be left on my own again… That’s why… I want to spend… every last moment of your life with you… without any regrets. I want to make you happy, right up until your last breath… So why…”

Dapper held the lord’s face in his hands.

“WHY CAN’T WE JUST LOVE LIKE WE ONCE DID?! WITHOUT ANY REMORSE OR RESENTMENT FOR WHAT HAD HAPPENED BACK THEN?! WHY CAN’T WE JUST START OVER AND LOVE EACH OTHER WITH A BLANK SLATE!?”

Dapper took a deep breath after his rant at his lord. He wanted to just break down in tears right in front of him. He just wanted to forget about the pain of his past, he didn’t want to be reminded of his death after his lord had disappeared. Yes, he reconciled with it, but now that his lord was here, alive… he just wanted to start a new chapter in his life. He stared back up at his lord after a while.

“Why can’t we just… have that?” he finally murmured. "My love... I don't want these memories to ever stop. So... can't we just... live...?"

The lord softly held Dapper’s face in his hands. He put their heads together.

“We already do.” The lord whispered. “We are both finally together again, after all these years. I’m sorry if I upset you.”

Dapper paused for a moment, tears streaming down his face. He then clasped on to one of the lord’s hands.

“I’m also sorry… for screaming at you.” He whispered back. “I just want to move forward from this point on, that’s all.”

The lord gently clasped his lover’s hand in his own, palm to palm.

“I’m glad you forgive me. You are probably right with what you’re thinking.”

“… Thank you.”

Dapper leaned forward and kissed his lord, wrapping his arms around his lover. The two gently pressed against the bed they both rested in, gently feeling each other’s bodies as they kissed. Pulling away from each other slightly, Dapper smiled up at his lover.

“Would it be right for me to give you a name?” he asked.

“Maybe.” The lord replied. “What name do you have in mind?”

Dapper thought for a moment. He grinned when a name came to mind.

“… How does Sigmund sound?”

The lord smiled. “That sounds like a nice name. How did you get that?”

Dapper chuckled. “I was thinking about Sig...and this lovely bassist I met once had a name similar to that name…”

The lord smiled at him.

“Let’s go with that, then.” He said, smiling.

The lord and Dapper restarted kissing again for a while. They kept going at it, probing each other’s mouths with their tongues until one pulled away to draw breath. The lord gently kissed Dapper’s neck, which he happily arched his neck for, laughing softly.

“So is Sigmund the name you want for me?” the lord asked softly.

“…Yes.”

Sigmund smiled at his lover.

“I think it’s beautiful, my love.”

He leaned forward and kissed Dapper again.

Dapper chuckled.

“I’m glad… we finally got to see each other again…” he sighed.

“Sigmund… I love you!”


	3. A Revelation

Sigmund and Dapper returned to Primp a week after their honeymoon. They were welcomed back with cheers and happy blessings from the others.

“Welcome back!” Amitie cheered.

“We missed you!” Arle said.

Dapper smiled at the two girls as he and Sigmund returned home. Eventually he and his lover found Dapper’s shop. Opening the door, Dapper showed his lover around his shop, telling him that owning one was what he would have wanted. The shop was stocked full of items and souvenirs on every shelf.

“This is amazing…” Sigmund murmured, looking at Dapper. “How long have you been running this shop?”

“About 150 years?” Dapper replied.

Sigmund chuckled. “Is there something here I can have for free?” he asked.

Dapper laughed. “Oh, my… Just barely in my shop and you’re asking for a veteran’s discount…” he chuckled. He kissed Sigmund’s lips in a playful gesture. “OK, then. You can have one thing of your choosing.”

The lord smiled at his lover, then noticed a little plush doll sitting on Dapper’s counter.

“What an interesting doll…” he said, examining it. “Can I have that one?”

Dapper laughed. “Oh no, you can’t. That’s a gift from Lemres.”

“You mean the best boy? Is he a friend of yours?”

“Yes… more than that… he helped me out during a really difficult time.”

“Really?”

“Yeah… I could not stand it… 150 years I have waited just to see you again… The waiting was destroying me…”

Dapper picked the doll off the counter and held it to his chest.

“… If I had waited any longer… I would have completely lost it… I would have done anything, ANYTHING, to make the pain stop… I was alone, I had no one to turn to… and then he came, and saved me from the brink…”

He clutched the doll closer to his chest, sobbing.

“I owe that man my life. Or… what remains of it. Nothing I could think of could ever repay that man who gave me so much support… He saved me. He loved me… he… he…”

Sigmund watched as Dapper burst into tears. He reached out and seized Dapper into a tight hug, holding Dapper close. Dapper cried into Sigmund’s chest, clutching at his clothes. Sigmund could see that Dapper’s tears were flowing thick and fast, streaming down his face and staining his clothes. Sigmund realised in that moment exactly how much he had hurt him by disappearing like he did. Dapper had suffered for 150 years waiting for him to return…

Lemres was a wonderful man for reaching out to help him.

If Lemres hadn’t came for him when Dapper was at his lowest… it would have meant…

Holding his lover close, he stroked his lover’s head. Swallowing hard, he began to speak.

“Dapper… I never wanted to get sealed away like I did 150 years ago…”

Dapper flinched at the sound of his lover’s voice. He trembled loudly in his arms.

“A pair of humans had given me a red book with gold borders. When I had opened it, I was suddenly trapped inside. I had no knowing how long I had been sealed there… but I was eventually discovered by a boy genius with glasses. I felt like I owed him my life saving me from being trapped forever… but I also desired using him to help me get back to my body… or at least a descendent of my body…”

He lovingly stroked Dapper’s face. Dapper smiled through his tears, feeling his lover’s hand on his cheek.

“I am finally whole again, after all these years… Thanks to your Lemres…”

Dapper leant upwards and kissed Sigmund’s lips. He held onto his lover for a long time, and then slowly let him go.

“Don’t you think we should thank him?” Sigmund asked.

Dapper smiled tenderly at Sigmund, grasping his hands in his own.

“Yes, I definitely think so.” He replied. He then hugged his lover tightly, wrapping his arms around him. The two stayed that way for quite some time, before the skeleton let go of his lord. Hearing the shop bell ring, Dapper saw that someone had entered his shop.

“Oh! A customer!” Dapper squealed, coming closer to get a better look. He stopped in place. The person who had entered his shop was… Sig.

“Hey.” He said. Lemres peeped through the door behind him.

“Hi, there! You two getting along?”  
Dapper stood in place, looking at the blue haired boy standing in front of Lemres. He shook his head.

“No… that can’t be right… you said…” He murmured. Sigmund caught wind of Dapper’s murmurs. He reached out to try and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Dapper… My love…”

“You said he had sacrificed himself for you!!”

The lord flinched at Dapper’s reaction. He could see that his lover was enraged.

“Dapper… I…”

Dapper held his head in his hands. He trembled visibly before his lover. He slowly tilted his head up to face his lover.

“I… thought you did.”

“What do you mean by you thought?”

Dapper’s breath hitched at his lover’s response. He swallowed.

“I… kept having the same dream… a lake surrounded by trees and populated by mayflies… The last time I had it… you were there… and I…”

“You had dreams about me?” his lord asked.

“I begged you to tell me that that wasn’t a dream… and we…”

He held back from finishing, trembling at the faint but tender memory of him and his lover passionately making love. It didn’t feel the same as back when he was still alive. It never will… but it still was so tender… he wanted to cherish every second… why did it have to end…?

“I wanted to ask you why… why you were right there… you said… Lemres… and Akuma…”

“I know what had happened.” The lord interjected.

“They had gathered Sig and Klug to summon me from that wretched book… Sig wanted to know the truth about himself. Even if it had meant saying goodbye from his friends, forever. But just as he was prepared to sacrifice himself… his father stepped in. He offered to take his place. He told us he could see that Sig already had a fulfilling life, and that tearing him from the friends he has… wouldn’t be the best choice for him. Whereas he never really had any friends… so, he used his body. It had the same blood Sig did, only purer. It will never be like my original body, I know that. But still, I owe that man my life for giving me a chance to live a true life.”

He tenderly stroked Dapper’s face.

“I could spend it with you.”

The skeleton trembled in place.

“Hey, any chance we can come in?” Sig asked.

Dapper chuckled at Sig’s question. “Sure you can.” He said warmly.

“Thanks.” Sig replied.

“Thanks, Dapper.” Lemres happily said, going into the store behind him. He looked over at Sigmund and his lover.

“Are you happy here?” Lemres asked Sigmund.

“More than elated to be here, Lemres, thank you.” Sigmund responded.

“I just thought I could give you two a visit-.”

Lemres suddenly felt Dapper tightly hugging him. Smiling down at him, Lemres wrapped his arms around the skeleton.

“…Thank you…” Breathed the skeleton.

Lemres chuckled. “You’re welcome…”

Sig swallowed, and looked at the skeleton’s lover.

“…Are you… OK with him?” he asked the taller man.

“More than that.” He replied. “I love him more than words could ever say.” He ruffled Sig’s hair.

“Somehow, I get the feeling that you are like a son to me.”

Sig nodded sadly. “Yeah. Well, if you’re happy with him, that’s fine, I guess…”

“You seem sad.” Sigmund said. “Why is that?”

“Well… a lot of things really…” Sig replied. “I mean… You pretty much are my dad… or you were.”

Sigmund smiled at the boy. “I’m sure he is proud of you.” He told him.

Sig smiled. “Yeah… maybe he is.”

"And so am I." Sigmund replied.

Sig laughed. "Heh... I guess you still are my dad."


	4. The Wondrous World

Dapper’s shop was only open for 8 hours. This was to give Dapper plenty of time to rest and relieve stress should he overwork himself. Plus, this gave him time for hanging out with Lemres and now, his lover. He sat on a bench with his lover close by. The sun was setting over the land. “My love… About that dream you were telling me about… You found yourself next to a lake sheltered by trees right?” Sigmund murmured.

“Yep.” Dapper whispered back. “Why do you ask?”  
“I think I know where to find it.”

“…!!”

“Do you want me to show you?”

“…yes.”

Sigmund smiled at his lover. Kissing him gently, he gently got himself and Dapper onto their feet. He then took Dapper’s hand and led him out Primp town and into the forest. Dapper’s breath hitched as Sigmund began sprinting passed branches that over hanged in their direction as they went deeper into the forest. Eventually, when nightfall had long fallen on Primp, Sigmund and his husband found themselves in a clearing, with a wondrous lake that stretched for many miles, lined with gargantuan cypresses, ancient oaks, and beautiful weeping willows. One particularly large weeping willow hung its leaves over the edge of the lake. Mayflies flitted above the lake, playing and dancing with an ancient grace.

Dapper stared at the beautiful sight for a long time. Shaking his head, he turned to his husband.

“This place… I had no idea… this is actually real?” he whispered. “I- I thought this was just my imagination, I thought… I thought…”

Sigmund smiled at his lover, and kissed his jaw in a soft gesture of love.

“Dapper… there is a reason you dreamed of this place.” He softly said.

“My love… what do you mean?” Dapper asked back.

Sigmund gently clasped Dapper’s hand in his own.

“…You had our meeting here, in your dreams.” He whispered.

Dapper was speechless.

“You knew?!”

Sigmund nodded.

“HOW?!”

Sigmund gently held Dapper’s head in his hands.

“You were waiting for me in many of those dreams, except the last one you had… I was waiting for you. I looked inside your mind. I felt that giving you a pleasant dream might comfort you.”

Dapper’s eyes widened. “You looked inside my dreams? That’s why I… I saw you…”

He shook his head.

“No… I was about to go to bed when that happened… I don’t understand…”

“You don’t remember?” Sigmund murmured softly.

“No… why ask that?”

“Lemres said you looked terrible that day. You were crying, desperately trying to get people to believe you when you said this place was real…”

_“I’m telling you, I know this place exists!! I keep having the same dream, over and over again…”_

_Dapper was on the verge of crying. He tried to get people to stay to listen for hours. Amitie had told him he needed to go to bed, and he snapped at her saying that won’t help anything. Klug paced quickly to get away from the delusional skeleton._

_Dapper let out a hoarse cry of despair. He had hoped someone would listen. He even theorised that he may finally meet his lover there after all this time. Of course no one wants to be around a lovesick fool like he is. He might as well give up now. But he didn’t want to, not when he is this close to losing it completely. Lemres came near him._

_“Dapper… You need rest.” He said softly. Akuma also appeared behind Lemres. “Yes, Dapper. You are losing control of your emotions.”_

_“S-shut up!” Dapper screamed. “I can’t take it anymore… I’m sick of it!”_

_He turned to Lemres, tears streaming down his face.  
“There has to be a reason why I keep having the same dream!” He cried. “It might be in Nahe Forest somewhere!!”_

_“Nahe Forest hasn’t been fully charted.” Akuma murmured. “How do you know that this place you speak of exists there?”_

_“I… I…” Dapper stuttered._

_“…I just know that place exists… That’s where we’ll see each other again!” Dapper cried, his voice high pitched and broken. “I’ll find it… I’ll find it and I’ll see him there… AND IF HE ISN’T, THEN I’LL WAIT FOR HIM!! EVEN IF IT LASTS FOR ANOTHER 150 YEARS!” He dashed off before Lemres could stop him._

_Dapper dashed through Nahe Forest, panting heavily. He got his tailcoat snagged in some branches, but brushed them off as he headed deeper into the forest._

_“I’ll find him… I’ll find him… I’ll find him…” he repeated, voice soft and raw. He tripped on an exposed root and collapsed on the ground. He suddenly fell unconscious._

_A few hours later, a tall young man with purple hair found him and picked him up, and carried him out of Nahe Forest._

“I found you collapsed deep in Nahe Forest. I was horrified at how mangled you looked… so I took you back home. You began sobbing in your sleep. So I looked into your dreams. It was the same one, over and over again. So before I disappeared, I put a stop to that cycle. So I entered your dreams to try and comfort you.”

Dapper softly breathed as he listened to his lover. He shook his head in denial. Did his lover project himself into his dreams to comfort him? And if so… why didn’t he tell him before?

“But that doesn’t explain our marriage! I mean… Lemres just came out wearing a tuxedo and handed me this beautiful outfit…”

Sigmund chuckled. “Well, I wanted to make you happy. You have been through so much trauma… To express how much I have missed you, I wanted to surprise you with marriage… that might have been what we could have done if things didn’t turn out the way they did back then.”

Dapper shook his head violently. “No… NO, SIGMUND. You can’t just do that!”

He felt tears streaming down his face. “I thought that the dreams were taunting me with visions of you at that place, I… You… Why…?”

“If I had waited, you would have lost it completely. I didn’t want to see you upset anymore. I… I didn’t mean to…”

“Just stop… I don’t want to know. It’s just…” Dapper suddenly burst into tears.

“I waited so long just to see you again! I… I didn’t want to be reminded of the pain of my past! It kept happening, the same dream just waiting for you… at first it was comforting, but then it kept repeating over and over and over again, and I-.”

Dapper covered his mouth to stifle back a wail. Squeezing his eyes tight, he kept silent as to not upset his lover. He buried his face into his chest.

“I can’t help but keep remembering my past… back when I was Osolo… I was so, so stupid… I wish I had never fallen in love with you… I wish I had the willpower to just… run out of the castle all the way back home… and maybe just muster up enough boldness to marry a woman in a loveless marriage… that would have been preferable to this… NIGHTMARE…”

Sigmund watched in horror as Dapper completely broke down in his chest. Dapper cried loudly as he clutched against his lover’s chest. Dapper’s tears spilled all over Sigmund’s clothes. Sigmund swallowed hard as he gently held Dapper against his body. After what seemed like an eternity, Sigmund held Dapper’s head in his hands.

“Sweetheart…” he whispered softly, hoping to get through Dapper’s loud crying. He seemed to react, but just kept his face in his lover’s chest. He slowly pulled away from it after a while. He took a few short breaths as he stared up at Sigmund with tear stained eyes.

“What happened back then… doesn’t matter now.” He whispered comfortingly. “You said… that what matters is right now. You wanted us to just live, didn’t you?”

Dapper wanted to say something, but didn’t in fear of wailing right at his lover’s face. So, he nodded.

“Then… let’s just live. I want the rest of my life to be filled with nothing but your love.”

Dapper smiled warmly at his lover, then noticed a soft glow to his right. Fireflies flitted all above the lake they were seated at. Many of them wanted to attract the attention of females hidden in the grass the lovers sat upon. Dapper gently tugged on Sigmund’s clothes.

“Look, Sigmund.” Dapper whispered. “Fireflies.” Sigmund looked up and saw the fireflies dancing around the lake.

“They look beautiful, my love.” He replied.

Sigmund watched the fireflies fly above the lake with his lover resting on his chest. For a long time, the only sounds were fireflies flitting above the lake, the soft sounds of leaves rustling in the wind and Sigmund’s soft breathing. Dapper slowly looked up at his lover. He gently leaned forward and kissed his lover’s lips. He snaked his hands around his neck, gently holding on to his purple hair. Dapper slid his tongue into his lover’s mouth, softly moaning. Sigmund did the same, holding on to Dapper’s waist. He slid his hands up the skeleton’s frame, and gently took off his bowtie. Dapper opened his eyes slightly, feeling his bowtie fall of his neck. He felt Sigmund begin taking off his tailcoat. He closed his eyes again, moaning again. It will never be like the first time, he knew that. But… what if…

He pulled away from Sigmund slightly to say something, but Sigmund put his finger against his teeth. Sigmund suddenly quickly tore Dapper’s tailcoat completely off his frame, and then pushed him down on the grass. Dapper suddenly let out a squeak, completely taken off guard by Sigmund’s sudden actions. He then moaned loudly as he felt Sigmund kiss his neck, his ribs, his entire upper body with great speed. Sigmund then pulled away and began taking his coat and shirt off. Dapper was suddenly gifted with Sigmund’s chiselled chest as he stared up at him with wide eyes.

“Ah… you… I… A-ah…” he could barely speak. His lover smiled at him.

“I haven’t done something like this in a long time…” Sigmund admitted. “You understand, don’t you?”

Dapper trembled. He shook his head. “No… I don’t think we should. Not yet, anyway.”

Sigmund flinched, then smiled. “Is something on your mind? We can talk about it, if you want.”

Dapper got back up onto a sitting position, and kissed Sigmund’s lips. If he were anywhere else, he wouldn’t want to discuss it with him. If he were with anyone else, he would never want to discuss it with them. Here, in this wondrous world, he could be open about his emotions.

“I miss my mum and dad.” He said simply.

Sigmund felt concern rise in his chest. He leaned closer to his lover.

“What would they think of me, someone who would die for another man? I wish I could have told them about my feelings… I didn’t want to upset them by telling them I had fallen in love with a demon…” Dapper started. “My sisters… they all went on their separate journey… How would they have reacted learning that their brother killed himself over you? And dad… he would have loved to see me get married and have children… but I doubt he would have wanted me with another man… I think he would be very sad…”

Sigmund watched as Dapper began sobbing.

“He would have loved to be a grandfather to my children, watch them grow up as he had watched me grow up… and mum… mum would-.”

Dapper stifled back a sob with his hand. He suddenly began choking up sobs as he broke down in front of his lover.

“I miss my mum. I miss her so much… I would have told her I’m sorry for making her so sad, for dying the way I did… I wish I could have told her how I felt about you, my love… I bet my entire family hates me for falling in love with you… I bet they hate me for killing myself…”

He snapped his head up to face his lover.

“THEY HATE ME, DON’T THEY?!”

Dapper burst into tears again. Sigmund gently reached out and tightly hugged his lover. Dapper sobbed loudly into his lover’s chest. Sigmund gently stroked his lover’s skull, and for a long while nothing else mattered. Then he spoke.

“I don’t think your family would have minded.”

Dapper flinched at his lover’s soft response. He looked up at him, tears streaking down his face.

“They would be shocked at first, but they would have accepted it. Because they loved you unconditionally, my love… just as I do, now.”

Dapper let out a sob. Blinking slowly, he focused on his lover’s soft voice, trying to drown out the tormenting voices of failure in his head.

“Even now, your parents still love you.” Sigmund finished.

Dapper felt more tears spill down his face. He let out a soft wail, and softly began crying again. Sigmund wiped a few tears off his face. Dapper stopped crying almost immediately after, feeling his lover’s hand against his cheek. He smiled through his tears.

Dapper reached out and held Sigmund’s face in his hands. He leant forward and kissed Sigmund on the lips. He wrapped his delicate hands around his lover’s neck, burying his hands into his hair. They slid each other’s tongues into their mouths for a brief moment. Sigmund gently wrapped his arms around his lover’s ribcage and pushed themselves back onto the ground.

“Sigmund…” Dapper whispered, pulling away. “I never stopped loving you… even when I was at my lowest….”

“Dapper… sweetheart…” Sigmund murmured.

“Thank you… My love…” Dapper sighed, falling asleep.

Sigmund smiled. He wrapped his arms tightly around his lover, letting him snuggle into his chest. It was only a matter of time before he also fell asleep.

**_“No matter what happens… you’ll always be my beloved.”_ **


	5. Levity

Dapper opened his eyes slowly the next morning. His eyes met the glistening water of the lake. His lover wasn’t laying with him anymore. Sitting up, Dapper looked around, hoping to find his lover. He saw his lover, fully clothed, sitting under the willow by the lake.

Dapper smiled, and approached his lover, and gently laid himself down on the grass. Sigmund didn’t seem to notice. Dapper grinned. He lay low, hoping to continue being invisible to his lover. He could obviously see Sigmund, but _he_ cannot see _him_. He crept closer to his lover. He edged nearer and nearer to his lover, hoping not to disturb him.

“I know you’re trying to spook me.” Sigmund chuckled, putting an arm around his lover. Dapper froze, then let out a burst of giggles.

“How did you know it was me?” Dapper cooed, nuzzling Sigmund’s face.

“I sensed you coming near me.” His lover replied. “Or have you forgotten all about that?”

Dapper thought back to the first time he saw his lover sensing his presence and smiled.

“Yeah, I haven’t forgotten…” he said softly. “That was so long ago, wasn’t it?”

He looked back at his lover.

“Was there ever a moment back then where you wanted me gone?” he asked.

“Not one.” Sigmund replied. “Except the first few minutes. But back then, I never knew who you were…”

Dapper restrained himself from peppering his lover in kisses. But he began to wonder…

“Oh! My shop! It’ll open in a few minutes.” He remembered about his shop back in Primp. He took Sigmund’s hand in his own and began running.

“Dapper… you’re forgetting your clothes.” Sigmund murmured.

Dapper stopped abruptly. Sigmund was right. He had never noticed until now he was still naked. He laughed, letting go of his lover’s hand and went to get his clothes from the edge of the lake. He was lucky they weren’t in the water. Putting on his top hat, he grabbed his lover’s hand again.

“Why was I leading you in the first place, Sigmund?” he asked. “Surely, you lead the way.”

Sigmund smiled, and led Dapper out of the forest. They found themselves back at Primp in only half an hour.

“Ah… I’m late…” Dapper cried. Sigmund smiled at him.

“It’s not bad, though… It is only a few minutes.”

Dapper felt comforted by Sigmund’s words. “You’re right, I shouldn’t worry about it… once we get in, we’ll get you settled.”

“You already shown me your shop the first time, Dapper. I don’t need to be shown again.” Sigmund noted.

“Oh…” Dapper replied. “Ohohoh… I remember… haha.”

He opened the shop door and let Sigmund inside. The two saw Sig at the counter, working the cash register.

“…You left your shop door open last night. And right now you’re late.” He said. “So I ran it for a while.”

“Oh, thank goodness…” Dapper said, relieved. “I had a feeling you would have turned it into a bug hotel.”

“Don’t listen to him.” Sigmund said. “You’ve done very well, Sig.”

“Thanks. Do you want to take over or…”

“No, no. I think Dapper should take a rest. Yesterday was quite stressful.”

“…Yeah, Lemres was telling me. Dapper usually takes breaks on Sundays.”

Dapper peered behind his lover as he and Sig conversed. He stepped out in front.

“Yes, I think I should take a break.” He said to Sig. “Thank you for running it for a bit.”

“Err… no problem, I guess.” Sig replied.

“How much money did you make?” Dapper asked.

“…Dunno, didn’t check.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter, it’s still a profit. Now go along, play with your bug collection.”

“Yeah… See you later, Dapper. Or maybe I suppose you’re my dad-in-law… right?”

Dapper laughed. “Yes, yes, of course! I forgotten I was married!”

Sigmund smiled at Sig. He ruffled his hair.

“My lover is always so sprightly. You don’t mind him, do you?” Sigmund asked.

“Not really. He’s kinda weird, but… he’s not bad, either.” Sig replied, reaching the door of Dapper’s shop. “See ya.” He said before slipping out the door.

Sigmund waved his son goodbye. He really does see Sig as his son, especially since he was merged with his father. At first, Sigmund felt he had two different sets of memories, his own and Sig’s father’s. Now though, they pretty much merged. Though he still remembers his imprisonment, that doesn’t matter to him now, as he was going to live the rest of his life with the man he loved more than anything else.

“Is there anything you want to do with me?” he asked the skeleton.

“Maybe we could go for lunch.” He replied.

“Is there anywhere here we could go for lunch?”

Dapper thought for a moment. There weren’t a lot of restaurants in Primp Town. But the few that were there could be good enough for them to go on a date. Still, he felt like he shouldn’t take the risk. He shook his head.

“I have a kitchen area we could use. I’m a good cook, you know.”

“Really, now?” Sigmund asked. “Can you demonstrate?”

Dapper giggled playfully, kissing his lover’s lips. “Of course I can!”

Sigmund smiled as his lover kissed him. “Alright, show me.”

Dapper grinned. He took his lover’s hand and led him to a small cabin not terribly far from his shop, but was secluded by some trees. Opening the door, he led his lover inside. He seated his lover down on a log chair and got to work. Sigmund watched as his lover began making chicken teppanyaki, boiling the soy sauce and cooking the chicken. Half an hour later, Dapper presented his husband freshly prepared chicken teppanyaki kebabs, complete with warm soy dipping sauce.

“Here!” Dapper sang, handing his lover the food. Sigmund stared at the meal for a long time, then cautiously picked up a kebab. Dapper saw his lover’s awkwardness.

“The food won’t hurt you…” He murmured, picking up a kebab of his own. He showed to his lover.

“You just dip the kebab into the sauce, like this…” he demonstrated dipping the kebab into the sauce before his lover. Sigmund cocked his head curiously. He took the kebab off Dapper’s hand. He nibbled it, getting a taste. A few moments later, Sigmund scarfed down the whole kebab, leaving only the stick.

“That was delicious, Dapper!” he said to him. “How can you cook so well?”

Dapper chuckled. “My mum showed me when I was little. Me and her were very close.”

“Have you ever tasted your own food?" Sigmund asked. "I would love to have this again…”  
Dapper paused for a moment. He burst out laughing.

“I would love to have tasted my own food and eaten it but… I’m not physically able to. It’ll go right through me!”

Sigmund laughed lightly. Dapper heard him laugh. He laughed even harder. He threw his arms around his lover.

“I forgot… skeletons don’t eat, do they?” Sigmund chuckled.

Dapper nuzzled his lover’s face. “I would have loved to taste my own meals like I could with my mum, though…”

Sigmund smiled.

“I think she would be very proud of you.” he said. He was relieved to see Dapper so happy. Such a contrast to the distressed and guilt ridden skeleton just a few days ago. Maybe as early as last night. He wrapped his arms around his lover.

“I am also proud of you. I’m so glad to have a lover like you.”

Dapper chuckled, burying himself into his lover’s chest.

“Thank you, Sigmund.” He said, though it was muffled by Sigmund’s clothes.

Sigmund chuckled, nuzzling his lover’s skull. “You ‘ought to show me how you do it. I would like to learn how to cook the way you do.”

Dapper removed himself from his lover’s chest, smiling. He clasped his lover’s hands in his own.

“I’ll happily show you again tomorrow… How does that sound?” he asked.

“I think that sounds lovely.” Sigmund said, pulling his lover into a kiss.


	6. Running the Shop

“Dapper, would it be alright if I run the shop for the day?”

Dapper was surprised at his lover’s question. He usually runs his little shop in Primp, but hearing his lover offer to take over for the day made him have an idea. Having his lover take over the shop would mean he could take the day off and focus on other things. He smiled.

“OK, you can run the shop for today.” He said, kissing his lover’s lips, and went out of the shop. He peeped his head out back through the door to say “Love you!” to Sigmund, before going out again. Sigmund smiled as he watched his lover leave. He looked at the cash register that sat on the counter. He wasn’t sure how to work it. He hadn’t had the chance to learn how to use it with him yet.

He could at least try to learn how to use it first-hand. He heard the bell ring as he saw someone walk through it. It was Amitie.

“Hello, tall purple hair guy.” She said, cheerfully. “Dapper told me about you.”

Sigmund cocked his head at the blonde girl. “I’m sure he did. Weren’t you at the wedding ceremony from a few weeks back?”

“Sure I was!” she replied. “You two looked so happy. You kinda remind me of Klug when he had that red soul on his back.”

Sigmund tensed when she brought that up. He thought back to many years ago, when he had possessed Klug and tried to get back his old body. As much as he was happy to converse with this girl, her bringing up the past put him on edge.

Being sealed away for more than a century… desperately trying to get back to some semblance of normality… going as far as to possess his own rescuer to achieve that goal… caused bile to build in his throat when she brought it up. He swallowed it back quickly, shaking his head. He sighed.

“Girl… I would rather you not bring anything up from back then… please…”

Amitie saw Sigmund’s unease.

“If it bothers you that much, then I’ll stop for you. Okay?”

Sigmund smiled at Amitie’s response. “That… would be nice.”

A silence fell on the shop for a long while. Then Sigmund asked “Would you like to buy anything?”

Amitie thought for a moment. A long moment. She shook her head. “Nah, I forgot what I came here for. Oh, well. Probably wasn’t that important. See ya!” she went back out the door. Sigmund watched her go, jaw slack. Closing his mouth, he shook his head.

What a strange girl, he thought to himself. He went back to wondering what to do with the cash register. He then heard the shop bell ring again. Looking up, he saw it was Arle.

“Hello, there!” she said. “I need to pick up some curry supplies so I can make lots of curry. Carbuncle wants everyone to have some curry!”

Sigmund scratched his head in confusion. “What’s a curry?” he asked.

“You don’t know what curry is?” she responded. “Well, it’s one of the most delicious things from my world. It’s delicious on rice!”

“Yes, but what is it?” Sigmund shot back, starting to get annoyed. “Is it a sauce? Is it a type of meat cut?”

“It’s definitely a sauce, made up from ingredients like chicken, peppers and carrots! I could show you how to make it sometime.”

Sigmund’s mind was whirling with all the nonsense the girl was spewing out. He shook his head.

“Whatever it is you’re looking for, I cannot provide. Sorry.” He said, hoping to sound polite.

Arle shrugged. “I guess that’s fine. I don’t really see a food aisle here anyway. I can just look for a travelling food merchant, instead.” And with that, she went out the door. Sigmund put his head in his hands. But the idea of having the so-called curry Arle was going on about intrigued him somewhat… but should he trust her? No really, he shouldn’t. He really didn’t want another person coming through the shop. He wanted to rest and regain his bearings so that he wouldn’t snap at the next person who came in here. Everyone is strange in this world. It wasn’t anything like how he remembered it before being sealed away. He was just barely keeping his human form anyway, starting to use it so as to keep calm and look presentable. It was fine to show his true form to his lover, but to anyone else, how would they react? Fear? Rage? Betrayal at the revelation that he was a demon? Then again, he was in his true form at the wedding ceremony. Everyone seemed to be happy to see them both reunite. Dapper must have told them about his resemblance to another demon, a man known as the Dark Prince. How powerful is that prince to him? Probably exponentially more than he ever could be capable of. They probably would have just passed the resemblance off as a coincidence anyway. If they found out he was capable of magic though…

The demon was hoping someone wouldn’t come through to derail his train of thought. But they did. He slowly lifted his head to see who it was. It was Lemres.

“Oh, good. Someone I might actually enjoy conversing with…” he murmured hoping that he was out of Lemres’ earshot.

“You seem a bit cranky…” Lemres said warmly. Sigmund’ heart sank when he heard Lemres respond. He should learn to keep his mouth shut. But not around Lemres. Not after all the good he did for him. For the both of them. He straightened himself up.

“Business has been rather slow Lemres.” He said. “Dapper put me in charge of his shop. It’s been going as well as you expect.”

The warlock laughed, relieving some of Sigmund’s stress. He smiled.

“Well, I’d like to buy something from ya.” Lemres said.

“What do you have in mind?” Sigmund asked.

Lemres thought for a moment. He looked at the shelves, stocked with souvenirs. He caught his eye on one particular item of significant interest.

“Can I have that book? That blank one?”

Sigmund went over and got the book down from the shelf. He gave it to Lemres.

“What do you need this book for?” he asked him.

“To write some recipes down. How much does it cost?”

Sigmund got the book back off Lemres and looked for a label that had the price tag on. He eventually found it on the inside part of the front cover.

“130 points?”

Sigmund was unsure how to make of it. Back in his day, people mostly used gold coins. Never has he heard of points. He gave the book back to Lemres.

“Do you have any idea what ‘points’ are?” he asked.

Lemres chuckled and got out a card.

“Yeah, Dapper never showed you, huh?”

He leant forward, scratched the card through a swiping system mounted on the side of the cash register.

“Usually, Dapper would do this.” He noted. “But I suppose I’ll have to show ya a frame of reference for next time, yeah?”

Sigmund cocked his head at the card Lemres held in his hand. He took it off him, and began swiping the card several times in the swiping system. Lemres stared at Sigmund in disbelief. He chuckled, taking the card back off him.

“Great, now I got a surplus of five, maybe six books?” Lemres said, funnily enough without any annoyance. “Don’t worry, I’ll give you one.” He went over and got another book from the shelf and gave it to Sigmund.

“You’re too kind, Lemres. Maybe I’ll give this to Dapper. As a surprise.”

Lemres smiled at Sigmund.

“Yeah, he’ll really love that. Well, I got what I came here for.” He said, going over to collect more books from the shelf. He went back out the door, a stack of books in his hands.

“Well, see ya!” he called out to Sigmund. Sigmund stood in silence, wondering what just happened. He looked at the time on the clock mounted on the wall beside the door. 14:50. The shop closes in just over three hours. Crud. His first customer of the day arrived late into the shift. He has to at least try and get more than just Lemres. Dapper would be disappointed if he didn’t get much of a profit. So he waited. And waited. By the time another person did come through, it was close to closing time. It was Sig.

“Hey. I came here looking for some supplementary books for Ms Accord. Amitie forgot to get them earlier, so we hadn’t realised that we were out until school ended.”

Sigmund facepalmed. That was why Amitie came here.

“Be quick. The shop closes in five minutes.” Sigmund urged, making sure the inflections of his voice weren’t disdainful. “How many do you need, Sig?”

“About… err… six I guess.”

Sigmund nodded, got the books from a shelf beside the one which held blank books Lemres wanted from earlier and handed them to Sig. Unlike the large blank books Lemres carried in both hands, the supplementary books were slender and Sig was quite able to carry them.

Sigmund remembered something and stretched out his hand.

“Your card, so I can do the transaction.”

Sig nodded, and passed him his card with his right hand, carrying the books under his left arm. Sigmund swiped the card through the system, carried out the transaction and passed it back to Sig. He nodded at Sigmund.

“Thanks, dad.” He said, walking back out of the shop. Sigmund wiped his head, relieved. Not a moment after, Dapper Bones walked through the door.

“Oh, Sigmund… how was work?” he asked him. Sigmund noticed an odd change from the usually peppy skeleton from before. He seemed more… reserved, quiet.

“It went quite well. Sig was just here a few moments ago. How was your day off?”

“It was quite enjoyable. I went foraging for supplies.” Dapper replied.

“…You seem awfully quiet. Why is that?” Sigmund asked.

Dapper didn’t respond. He shook his head.

“It’s nothing to worry about… really…” he whispered.

Sigmund felt concerned. He patted his lover’s back, causing him to jolt slightly.

“You can tell me what’s wrong, if you want. If not, that’s also fine.”

Dapper felt his lover put his arm around his waist. He gently held on to it, smiling.

“It really is nothing to worry about, my love.” He whispered. Sigmund smiled. If his lover didn’t want to discuss anything with him, the best thing was to let him have his private thoughts to himself. He kissed him.

“Do you want to sleep in the cabin tonight?” he asked.

Dapper nodded. “Yes.” He replied.

Taking his lover’s hand, Dapper led him out of the shop. Heading to the cabin by the trees, Dapper opened the door for his beloved. He led him to the door leading to the bedroom of the cabin. it had a sizable double bed, which Sigmund felt was a bit odd considering Dapper has been living for much of his undeath alone, but felt comfort knowing he would be spending the rest of it with him, a bookshelf and a few… odd boxes he didn’t recognise, with strange cables with control devices attached. He never thought his lover would fancy playing one of those devices.

“What are those strange boxes there, Dapper?” he asked.

“Oh. Those are games consoles. Sometimes I play those from time to time.” Dapper replied. He clasped his lover’s hands in his own. “Maybe we could play a few games together some time!”

Sigmund smiled. Dapper seemed to have forgotten about whatever was troubling him. Though a part of him felt that Dapper’s smile was forced. Still, he shouldn’t trouble his lover with anything. He went over to the bed and felt it. It was surprisingly soft. He went on it, snuggling down in one of the pillows. Dapper laughed.

“Are you wanting to sleep now, darling?” he asked.

Sigmund nodded. “It’s getting quite late.” he noted.

Dapper got into bed beside his lover, next to the window. Chuckling, he kissed his lover’s lips.

“Goodnight, love.” Dapper whispered.

Sigmund smiled wrapping his arms around his husband.

“Goodnight, sweetheart.”

Dapper warmly snuggled into his lover’s arms. He trembled at a memory of an event that transpired only a few hours ago…


	7. Mortality

_Dapper headed deep into Nahe forest, gathering various woods, mushrooms and textured mosses. He was hoping to use them to make miscellaneous furniture to sell at his shop. He also liked long walks into Nahe forest, because he never knows where he might end up if he goes far enough. Since the forest covered much of Primp, Dapper could easily lose himself in walking around Nahe Forest without a care. He also wanted to get back to his shop before he got too invested in his trek, or he might find himself at Ta-Toon-Da castle… huh. Funny he brought that up in his head. That was where he first met him… his beloved… his train of though was stopped when he saw Akuma standing right in front of him._

_“Oh! Hello Akuma.” He said. He saw that Akuma looked at him with concern and pity._

_“You look sad. Why is that?” Dapper asked._

_“Dapper… you are aware of what will happen years from now… aren’t you…?”_

_Dapper froze at Akuma’s question. He trembled in place. He slowly nodded._

_“…I do. Why do you bring that up…?” he whispered softly._

_“Will you be prepared for it...?”_

_Dapper had a feeling he knew what Akuma was talking about. His lover can’t live forever. Akuma was talking about the day his lover dies. Dapper was undead. He will continue to exist for as long as his state will continue, even as the world around him changes… even as his lover…_

_“I think so…” he murmured._

_Akuma shook his head. “I only hope that you are…” his voice was soft and sad. He left Dapper alone. Dapper went to sit down on a log, trying to process his thoughts. The more he thought about it, the more he knew. He was going to outlive his lover, no matter what happens. One day, his lover will be dead, and he will be there to witness it. Or be notified of his passing. Whatever came first. He felt tears dripping down his face. He began sobbing into his hands._

_“No… No, Akuma. I don’t think I will…”_

Sigmund heard his lover crying beside him. He gently wrapped his arms around his lover, who had his back to him. He gently shushed him, nuzzling his neck.

“It’s OK, sweetheart…” he whispered, hoping to calm him down. Dapper kept crying. Sigmund gently stroked his head. He felt his lover turn around and bury his face into his chest, muffling his already intensifying sobs.

“Dapper…” he whispered again. Dapper looked up at his lover, tears still spilling down his face.

“Sigmund… please…” he sobbed, wrapping his arms around him.

“I don’t want to think anymore…” he nuzzled Sigmund’s face.

Sigmund smiled at Dapper, kissing him. They rolled on the bed so that Dapper was below his lover.

“Please don’t let me think…” Dapper whispered. Sigmund kissed his lover again.

“It’s alright, love…” he whispered softly. Dapper shook his head.

“Sigmund… I… I’m sick of it…”

“What are you sick of…?” Sigmund asked.

“… I’m sick of knowing one day you’ll be gone…” Dapper whispered. He sat up on the bed. “I just want to love you, without any regrets… but…” He shook his head again.

“How can I do that? I already told you that I want to just live with you… But… Every reminder makes me worry about you. If I had the power, I would keep you alive, make you like me… But you wouldn’t want that… and I wouldn’t want to hurt you with something far worse than being sealed away for 150 years…”

He began to sob. Sigmund watched as Dapper cried into his hands. He then wrapped his arms around his lover, gently shushing him again.

“It doesn’t matter what happens to me, Dapper.” He whispered. “All that matters as that the memories we make will be wonderful. I want to cherish these precious memories with you… even just one of them is more than enough for us…” Dapper gasped softly and pulled away slightly to face his lover. He then leaned forward and kissed him. Sigmund pressed his mouth against his, returning the kiss. He pushed Dapper back down on the bed.

Dapper stared up at Sigmund when he pulled away, breathing heavily and raggedly. He reached out and held Sigmund’s face with his hands.

“Please… I want you to make love to me… because we couldn’t before…” he whispered. Remembering what had happened at the lake, Sigmund smiled warmly down at his husband. Slowly leaning forward, he pressed his lips against Dapper’s teeth, causing him to open up his mouth. 

They soon began making passionate love.


	8. Mutual Understanding

Lemres walked past Dapper’s shop. He noticed that the door wasn’t locked, again, because it was wide open.

“Dapper? You there?” he asked, going in the shop. He wasn’t in his shop. Lemres scratched his head. Peculiar, Dapper nearly always spent the night in his shop, that was what the secret compartment behind the counter was for. It was… odd not seeing him there. It was already 9:00, meaning he should have started his shift at this time.

Lemres thought for a moment, then smiled. There was only one other person Dapper could possibly be with around this time. His beloved husband.

“You spend the day with your lover, then.” He said, leaving the shop.

Sigmund slept deeply, with his lover pressed against his chest. The morning sun shown down on Dapper’s back as he and Sigmund slept. Then, he began to stir, slowly lifting himself from Sigmund’s chest. He gently nudged his husband.

“Sigmund…” Dapper whispered. His lover still slept, snoring.

“Wake up… Sigmund…” Dapper repeated, nudging him with a bit more force. Still his lover slept. Dapper shook his head. The both of them were naked, exhausted from last night’s passionate love making session. It was odd that Sigmund would be more tired than his lover was, considering how much fitter he was compared to him. Dapper smiled.

“I’ll leave you to sleep, then.” He whispered. Ruffling his lover’s hair, he chuckled. He leaned forward to kiss him on the lips.

“Love you.” He got up to leave, then felt a hand gently grab his arm.

“Wait… Dapper…” came the drowsy voice of Sigmund. Dapper gasped. Sigmund groggily got up, leaned forward and kissed Dapper. Dapper held onto his husband’s hair, and gently let him go.

“Wakey wakey, sleepyhead.” Dapper whispered. Sigmund chuckled. Getting up, he hoisted himself out of bed. Dapper picked up his tailcoat, which had been dropped on the floor the previous night, during their passionate love making session. Putting it on, along with his top hat, he went to check up on his lover, who was in the midst of putting on his shirt and argyle vest.

“Sigmund, what would you like to do today?” He asked, swaying from side to side.

“Shall I let you run the shop for today?” Sigmund replied. “I tried doing so yesterday, but It’s quite stressful…”

Dapper giggled. “Oh, it was your first time, wasn’t it? The first time is always hard. But that’s fine, I’ll run it for today. What time is it anyway?”

“9:00.”

Dapper paused, and let out a loud gasp.

“I’M LATE!” Dapper ran out of the cabin. Just before he went out, he turned to Sigmund and said “See you later!”

Sigmund chuckled as he watched his lover leave. He really has perked up since their new beginning so long ago. The painful memories of doubt and fear of the future seem to be very far away now. Now that they’ve cleared everything up and sorted everything out with those feelings, they could just live in bliss. Sigmund thanked the goddess that Dapper no longer worries about what will happen to him. He just hoped that Dapper will offer as much love to him as possible… and that he will give him his own love, in return. That was all he cared about now. He just wanted to love Dapper like he could have 150 years ago… before the nightmare began.

Sigmund swallowed. Dapper’s nightmare began when he was first sealed away, and though it became less intense over the years, when the painful memories came rushing back, Dapper’s sanity took a horrendous nosedive. Lemres helped alleviate some of the pain, but it will only a matter of time before Sigmund leaves… for good. When that happens… Dapper would…

Sigmund shook his head quickly. No, he should’nt think about it too hard. Dapper may have moved on for now, but he certainly hasn’t. Being sealed away in that blasted book for 150 years, relying on an arrogant boy genius for his freedom, possessing him on several occasions… learning of how devoted and how broken Dapper was waiting for him… was more than he could bear. He began to sob into his hands, knowing that one day… he would have to leave his lover again.

And this time, it would be forever.

\----

Dapper returned to the cabin many hours later. He saw Sigmund reading a book, resting in his bed.

“Didn’t feel like getting up after all?” Dapper asked.

Sigmund shook his head. “I did go for a walk.” He said, getting up a large bag onto bed. He opened it up. Dapper saw there was a collection of mushrooms, herbs and other food items like fish.

“I just though you would like to use these in your next cooking session.” Sigmund explained. “I also wanted to relieve some stress as well. A lot of things were on my mind.”

He saw that Dapper tensed. He was prepared for his lover to scream at him, to cry about him constantly bringing up his fears, even though he had already reconciled with them. But he didn’t. He just chuckled quietly, and Sigmund couldn’t help but relax.

“Sigmund… I know what things are on your mind.” Dapper said softly. “You told me back when we were at my shop… I remember you told me about being sealed in the Record of Sealing… left inside a library for 150 years… being desperate to get back to your original body… but it’s OK. All that is in the past now.” He clasped Sigmund’s hands in his own.

“What matters, my love… is right now. All I ask… Is that we love each other... without any regrets. We help each other.” He nuzzled Sigmund’s face.

“And I really want to give you as much love as you do me.”

Sigmund smiled at Dapper. Not only did Dapper love Sigmund as much as he did, he was as willing to help Sigmund work through the pain of his past as he was willing to help him work through his. Sigmund gently leaned forward and kissed his lover on the lips. Dapper smiled, deepening the kiss. Sigmund rolled his lover onto the bed, pressing down on him.

“I love you.” Sigmund said simply.

Dapper chuckled, arching his neck so that Sigmund could kiss it.

“...I know.”


	9. Think of the Future

Weeks passed. Dapper and Sigmund alternated between running the shop and looking for supplies and food to use at the cabin. Sometimes, when Dapper wasn’t in any condition to run the shop, Sigmund would run the shop in his place and not bother looking for supplies. Even so, he and his lover enjoyed every second of their new life together. Dapper always enjoyed Sigmund’s company when he was down, and Sigmund was devoted to making sure Dapper felt safe. Lemres had noticed that Dapper hardly if ever looked as though he could drop on the ground at any second and was elated to see him so happy. Arle and the other villagers of Primp loved Sigmund’s awkwardness at the shop, and Dapper would delight at the rush of customers whenever Sigmund took over. It got to the point where Dapper considered collaborating with Sigmund at the shop. But Sigmund, with a little help from Lemres, became pretty much a natural at the job. Lidelle even came over to the shop and was delighted to see another horned person other than Draco and the Dark Prince, even going as far as to call him her stepbrother. Sigmund got flustered after that.

Eventually, Sigmund got to try out some of Arle’s special curry, and he nearly fell off his chair at how spicy it was. Dapper nearly lost consciousness at how hard he laughed, and Lemres couldn’t help but chuckle. Sigmund, embarrassed, told Dapper to sleep in the secret compartment in his shop for the night, not seeing the fun in it. The two eventually made up the next day.

Dapper gently cuddled against Sigmund a few more weeks later. It was close to 8:00, so the pair still had time to sleep before Dapper began his shift. The last moon of autumn only recently set, and the first winter morning was fast approaching, the red hue of sunrise tinting Dapper and Sigmund’s home red. Dapper gently rested his head against Sigmund’s head, peeping softly. Looking at his lover’s face, he could see that he was in deep slumber. Dapper didn’t feel the same way, not because he couldn’t sleep, but because he wanted to get up at this hour. Gently stroking his lover’s hair, Dapper got out of bed. He looked down at a discarded long coat left from the previous night. Their love life has been prolific since they finally settled in so long ago, starting with the first time every other day he and his lover had made love. Gently picking up the long coat, he looked back at his lover, still asleep. He chuckled.

“Have a good sleep, love.” He murmured softly. Putting his long coat on, he left the cabin, leaving Sigmund to sleep. The morning air hit Dapper as soon as he went outside, and he shivered a little bit. He then began to walk around Primp, taking in the warm morning air as the sun began to rise. Lemres saw him as he was walking.

“Hello, Dapper!” he called out to him. Dapper grinned as he saw Lemres.

“How are you, Lemres?” Dapper asked. “Still as shining and sweet as ever?”

Lemres chuckled. “Sure am, Dapper. Anything you want to talk to me about? Not like you to wake up so early…”

Dapper smiled at Lemres. “I just wanted to have an early morning, Lemres.” He replied.

“Well, be sure to make the most of it! It’ll be your birthday in a few months…”

“Oh-ho! I’m glad you remember my birthday, Lemres! Not much really happens when it’s my birthday…”

“That’s not true, Dapper! We surprise you with cake and gifts, and an invitation to the Christmas festival!”

“I know you do… but I just wish my birthday would be… a bit more extravagant, you know?”

Lemres smiled. “Well, I’ll see what I can do for you.” He said. He began walking away from Dapper.

“Well, have fun! See ya!”

Dapper watched Lemres go, waving back at him. he began imagining what sort of special event Lemres might do on his birthday, on Christmas Eve…

Soon, he remembered Sigmund.

Oh yes! I forgot about Sigmund, he thought.

He looked back at the sun, which has now risen quite far above the land. He then went back to the cabin to fetch his husband.

Sigmund was still in bed when Dapper returned. It was now 9:30, and yet again, Dapper was late. He gently nudged his husband, who still was in a deep slumber.

“Sigmund, sweetheart…” Dapper softly sang, hoping to wake his lover up. Sigmund chuckled, and slowly lifted his head. Dapper laughed, hugging his lover’s head.

“Mo… morning…” Sigmund softly whispered.

“Morning, Sigmund!” Dapper cooed, stroking his lover’s hair.

“So… What is happening?” Sigmund weakly asked.

“Sigmund, I’m late, again. We have to get to my shop, quickly!”

“Oh! Shall I help you out with your work?”

“Oh, yes! Please do!”

Sigmund smiled, getting out of bed. Dapper had forgotten that he was still naked from the previous night, and he stumbled back when he saw his lover naked standing up.

“P-put some clothes on!” he squeaked, flustered.

“I was just going to do that…” Sigmund said, embarrassed, as he put on his shirt and argyle vest and pants.

Once Sigmund was fully dressed, Dapper took his lover’s hand and led him out of the cabin, and off to work at his shop.


	10. Preparations

More weeks passed. The nights became longer, but no less pleasant, as the days began to become more fleeting and sweet. When December rolled by, everyone got ready for the Christmas festival. But something was very different this year. There was far more work to be done this time it seems, as some of the people of Primp were gathering birthday garlands and thinking of what gifts to get the special birthday person.

“Hey, Arle, don’t you think Dapper would love if we all dressed up as stylish and fabulous as he is?” Amitie asked her.

“Oh, yeah, that’d be a great idea! Though… I’m not sure if he’ll want me wearing your cap…” Arle replied. She picked up a beautiful gown like longcoat, with a long beautiful train that became more and more lavender coloured as it went further down.

“Wow… that gown looks even better than his old wedding gown…” Amitie noted. She shook her head. “Are you sure he’d like this?” she asked.

“I’m sure he will!” Arle remarked. “It’ll is the greatest birthday gift he’ll have ever seen! A wonderful gown that is both stylish and beautiful…”

“I don’t know… wouldn’t that look a little long on him?” Amitie wondered “The first gown was kinda long, but that one’s even longer!”

“There’s no time for talking about how long his gown is.” Ms Accord said behind Amitie. “This year’s festival is going to be the most extravagant yet! Quickly now, Amitie, help me get these garlands up.”

Dapper was fast asleep on the cabin bed. His lover sat beside him, watching the preparations from the window. Sigmund got up out the bed and looked back at his lover. Smiling, he tenderly stroked his head. He leant down and gently kissed the top of his head. Dapper snuggled against the bed, softly moaning. Sigmund then left his lover alone, hiding his demonic features and joining the festive preparations. Dapper didn’t seem to notice. It’s going to surprise him when he wakes up.

Sigmund walked into the preparation area where the festival was about to take place. Arle carrying the gown while Accord and Amitie hanged up the garlands, Sigmund called out to them.

“Is the gown ready yet?” he asked, hoping to get the girls’ attention. Amitie stopped helping Accord and went back to Arle, helping her carry the gown towards Sigmund, being careful not to get the coattails on the ground where they could get dirty.

Sigmund admired the gown with astonishment. “It looks beautiful…” he said softly. “Dapper will be sure to love this.”

“The festival will start in a few hours, Sigmund…” Amitie mused. “Where are you going to wake him up?”

“I’m not going to.” Sigmund replied. “Lemres is going to wake him up. I don’t want to spoil the surprise.”

“Oh, I getcha.” Amitie nodded, returning to the group, with the gown still on hand. Sigmund turned to Lemres.

“Which is a good time to wake him up, Lemres?” he asked him.

“The Christmas festival starts at 7 tonight.” Lemres answered. “You sure you want me to wake him up? It would be foolish of me to do so, and disingenuous for you. I’ll keep hold of the surprise you have for him.”

Sigmund clicked his tongue. Lemres was right, of course. It would in fact be disingenuous for Lemres to be the first thing Dapper sees on his birthday. He went back to the cabin, searching for the surprise he has for Dapper, quietly though as to not disturb him. Locating a medium sized box hidden away in a cupboard, Sigmund got it out. Smiling, he went back out, unaware that Dapper was stirring…

Sigmund handed the box back to Lemres.

“Here, take it. It’ll be safer in your hands for the time being.” He instructed.

“You don’t have to be so formal, y’know.” Lemres playfully retorted, taking the box out of Simgund’s hands. Sigmund went back to the cabin, and returned to his lover.

“Sigmund…?” Dapper whispered drowsily. He had gotten up while Sigmund was looking for the gift.

“Oh, Dapper.” Sigmund murmured. “There has been a lot of work for me to do.” He gently stroked Dapper’s face. “I’m sorry if I have been neglecting you.” Dapper let out a soft sigh as he felt his lover’s hand on his cheek.

“It’s alright, my love.” Dapper sleepily replied. “What time is it?”

“11:00. You have been asleep for quite a while.” Sigmund noted.

“Have I…?”

Dapper suddenly fell into Sigmund’s arms, too drowsy to keep himself straight. Sigmund gently picked up his lover, carrying him like a young child. Dapper wrapped his arms around Sigmund, softly snoring. Sigmund chuckled.

“Let’s stay here while the others are preparing…” he murmured softly against Dapper’s head. He then went back to the bed, resting on it. Looking down at his still sleeping husband, he smiled.

“You waste the day when you sleep for too long, sweetheart…” he gently murmured, nuzzling his lover’s skull. “When you do wake up, you’re too tired to want to stay up.”

Dapper softly moaned, gently snuggling into his lover’s chest. He slowly opened his eyes. He looked up at Sigmund.

“Is… something happening outside…?” he weakly asked.

Sigmund chuckled.

“Nothing is, my love.” He replied, kissing his forehead. He looked at the games consoles strewn on the floor, which was connected to an odd looking box with a screen on one of its sides.

“Do you want to play a game on one of those things, Dapper?” he asked him.

Dapper smiled, gently straightening himself up.

“Sure… why not?” he replied, still a little tired, though not as much as before.

He hopped off the bed, and turned on one of the games consoles, along with the large box with the screen on the front. Sigmund watched as the screen turned on and little polygonal men of all shapes and sizes began fighting on screen. Dapper handed him a controller.

“Here, why don’t I teach you how to play?” he offered.

“I don’t need to, love.” Sigmund retorted. “This game is offering a ‘how to play’ of its own volition.” He pointed Dapper to a demo of the game showing the would be player how to play the game. Dapper laughed.

“Oh, that’s just how the game is programmed when you leave it for too long.” He explained.

“Pro…grammed?” Sigmund asked, confused.

Dapper grinned. “It’s pretty odd to me too, Ringo gave me these from her own world a long time ago. I was planning to throw them away, because I didn’t know how to use them, but Maguro offered a game, and shown me how they work!”

“…There are other worlds?”

“Of course, of course. Arle’s from another world too… So many friends of mine and Lemres’ come from other worlds. I could introduce you to them sometime!”

“…Are they hostile? I wouldn’t want them to hurt you if they were…”

“Most of them are very nice. I wouldn’t say they were evil, but they’re very talented at Puyo Puyo matches! Much more so than me…”

“I would like to meet them sometime…”

“I’ll happily show you them! But for now, can I see you play a one player game? You can get more into the game without any distractions.”

“How are you a distraction?”

“I’m not really allowed to help you on one player games.”

“You can at least cheer me on.”

Dapper chuckled, and watched as Sigmund chose a character on the screen. He admired how quickly he was able to breeze through most of the stages, until one of the last ones got him totally stumped. The opponent was a metal version of his own character, and was easily able to outpace and defeat Sigmund. A continue screen with Sigmund’s character lying on the ground appeared not long after.

“What does ‘continue’ mean?” Sigmund questioned.

“The game wants you to continue, silly.” Dapper replied.

“Can’t it say ‘do you want to continue’? I feel that just saying continue is vague. And I’m not sure if ‘yes’ or ‘no’ are right answers to that vague question.”

“If you select yes, you’re saying you want to continue and keep fighting, and selecting no means you want to quit. I would want you to select yes.”

“Thank you for clearing that up… I’ll just-.”

“GAME OVER.”

The two lovers flinched as the game’s game over screen commenced. The sudden nightmarish sounds made them both still and frozen for a long while. Then Dapper said “I forgot that if you take too long, the game just assumes you want to quit anyway.”

Sigmund smiled down at his lover, holding him close.

“That’s just fine. I found that game a bit challenging anyway.”

“Shall I turn it off for you? It’ll mean we can just rest for a while.”

“As much as I want to rest and cuddle with you, I fear we may oversleep if we stay in bed.” Sigmund noted. “You can turn the game off, by all means, but the festival is about to begin.”

“We have a few hours, love…” Dapper lilted, picking up the controller on Sigmund’s lap. “I can show you how this game is really played…” he kissed his lover’s ear.

“Then please do.” Sigmund replied.

He watched as Dapper breezed passed the levels Sigmund did before, and easily defeated the metal opponent that was giving him such a bad time before. Not long after, Dapper came face to face with a giant hand. Sigmund wondered if this was a lost cause for Dapper, but, Dapper was able to defeat it simply by pummelling it.

“You cleared the game!” The game presented, showing the character in the end credits. “Incredible! Congratulations!”

“Sigmund, I won!” Dapper sang, wrapping his arms around his lover.

Sigmund smiled, wrapping an arm around Dapper. “Well done, love.”

“Hey, what time is it, anyway?” Dapper asked.

Sigmund checked the time on Dapper’s clock. It read 18:55.

“The festival starts in five minutes!” Sigmund gasped, carrying Dapper. “Come on, let’s go!”

“C-can you put me down?” Dapper asked meekly. “I can walk myself to the festival, you know. And I don’t want people to see me as constantly reliant on you to do everything. I’m a fashionista, but I’m sure I’m not a prince.”

Sigmund smiled, gently putting down his lover.

“Shall we go then?” Dapper asked his lover. Gently taking his hand, the two lovers headed for the festival.


	11. The Festival

At the entrance to the festival grounds, Sigmund let go of Dapper’s hand. He looked at the people preparing to begin the celebrations, then turned to Dapper.

“I’m going to be a while, Dapper.” He whispered out of the others’ earshot. “Promise me that you’ll wait.”

“I will, love.” Dapper replied back. Sigmund smiled and left Dapper alone. Dapper watched as Sigmund disappeared into the crowd of people getting ready to celebrate. Lemres tapped his shoulder, and Dapper spun around, startled.

“Hey there, Dapper.” Lemres greeted. Dapper relaxed when he saw Lemres.

“Well, there’s no need to scare me like that…” Dapper moaned, but then noticed the white folded clothing in Lemres’ hands. “What is that outfit for?” he asked.

Lemres smiled. “Come with me. I’ll show you!” he motioned Dapper to a changing room close to the entrance to the festival. When they got inside, Lemres took Dapper’s purple longcoat and helped him put on the white gown. When he was sure it was on properly, he held a mirror up to Dapper, who looked at himself with astonishment. The longcoat’s coattails was far longer than his wedding longcoat he worn so long ago, with beautiful lavender frills underneath the coattails. The coattails became more and more a vivid lavender the longer they went, until they were completely purple at their tip. The cuffs of his sleeves were a slightly subtle purple themselves, and his top hat had the same subtle purple colour as its ribbon.

Dapper nearly burst into tears. He turned to Lemres.

“Who… who gave this to you?” he asked, somehow able to stop himself from crying.

“Your lover. Shall I take you to him?” Lemres asked, stretching out his hand.

Dapper took a deep breath and nodded. Lemres then led Dapper out of the changing room, and towards the crowd of people at the festival. Dapper saw his lover from afar, hidden in the middle of the crowd. As Lemres led Dapper towards his lover, Dapper’s breath hitched at the deep purple tuxedo he was wearing. When Dapper looked closer, Sigmund was smiling. Lemres let go of Dapper’s hand when he was close enough to Sigmund. Dapper looked up at his lover with eyes full of awe. Sigmund held Dapper’s face in his hands.

“You’re even more beautiful than I ever could have imagined.” Sigmund whispered, pressing his nose very subtly on Dapper’s face. Dapper chuckled softly.

“The gown you gave to Lemres… I never could have imagined how wonderful it would look on me.” Dapper murmured back. He leaned upwards to kiss his lover’s lips. Pulling away, he whispered “You’re as beautiful as the day I first met you.”

Sigmund chuckled, and gently picked up his lover, carrying him in his arms as if away from danger.

“For one day, let us all celebrate this wonderful event, together!” he boomed, rocking the whole plaza. “Let the Christmas festivities begin!”

Everyone burst into a fit of cheers.

The party lasted for hours. Everyone got nice and drunk on the finest wines and fizzy apple juice and danced away into the Christmas spirit unfettered by ordinary limits. Sigmund and Dapper sang many wonderful songs and watched as different people engaged in Puyo Puyo combat.

“Judgement!” Arle shouted, blasting a huge amount of Nuisance Puyos at Lemres. He managed to neutralize all of them, yelling “How sweet!” and blasted back even more Nuisance Puyos at Arle with a resounding shout of “Cream Pies!” Arle couldn’t fight back and was overwhelmed. Dapper laughed as Lemres won the match, yelling “Piece of Cake!” as Arle tottered off.  
“Oh no…” she whined, as Carbuncle comforted her.

“Is this the kind of battles people usually have?” Sigmund asked.

“All the time, these battles take place.” Dapper replied. “I sometimes participate in some, but I really am not very good at Puyo battles…”

Sigmund smiled at his lover, putting an arm around him.

“You can do a demonstration, if you want.” He murmured softly. “We can do this away from anyone who notices, so you can concentrate, if you want.”

Dapper chuckled. “Sure, can we do it on the hill over there?” he asked, gesturing to a hill not terribly far from the festival. A sturdy looking tree grew from the hill, and the hill was very large.

“Why not?” Sigmund replied. He took Dapper’s hand and led him up to the hill. When they reached the top of the hill, he gently seated Dapper down on the grass.

“Wait for me.” He said. “I just need to get something.” He ran back down the hill, leaving his lover sitting under the tree.

He was reminded of something of his own he needed to get. Getting up, he called out to Sigmund.

“Wait, I need to get something of my own.” He huffed as he dashed down the hill. Sigmund reached his hand out to try and stop him, but Dapper was very quick on his feet. Sigmund shook his head. If Dapper wanted to get something of his own, then it would be wise to let him go and retrieve it. He made sure to also stay out of his lover’s sight as he headed down the hill and into the cabin. As he watched Dapper head into the cabin and retrieve the item he was looking for, he slunk back and looked for Lemres. He found him surrounded by fawning girls.

“Excuse me, Lemres.” Sigmund called out, cutting through the girls.

“Hey, Sigmund.” Lemres chuckled. “I suppose you’re here for the gift you intend for Dapper?”

“Yes, do you have it on you?” Sigmund asked. Lemres headed to one of the supply stalls, and picked up the medium sized box hidden behind the counter. Leaving the stalls, Lemres went back and gave the box to Sigmund.

“Here. Hope everything with your lover goes well!” Lemres beamed, making Sigmund relax. Smiling, Sigmund waved goodbye to Lemres, and ran back up the hill to meet his lover.

Dapper looked down at the pearl he held in his hand. The pearl was the Memory of Chu, given to him by his lord over 150 years ago. By Sigmund… his beloved lover. The memories of that day used to fill Dapper with so much anguish, it was unbearable. But now… it filled him with intense nostalgia. He began wondering what would have happened if he had just stayed with him and not leave him alone to get sealed in the Record. He wondered what would have happened if he had stopped him from sending him back home to protect him. His lover gave him the Memory of Chu as a parting gift before he went to prepare for war with the people of his village. His grasp tightened on the thing. Only one thought entered his mind.

_I don’t deserve this._

And the more he thought about it, the more he felt it was true. He didn’t deserve such a beloved gift if all he did was trash it into the sea like a worthless stone. He loved Sigmund more than anything else… but he will never forgive himself for throwing away the one gift that his lover gave him to remember him by.

Despite everything that’s happened…he didn’t deserve this man’s love.

Why are these feelings coming to him now? Why couldn’t have they come to him when he saw him for the first time in 150 years, when they were getting married? Or when they were on their honeymoon? Why now?

“Dapper.”

Dapper flinched when he heard his lover’s voice. Trembling, he slowly looked back at Sigmund.

“I…” he tried to speak, but he barely could. Shaking his head, he let out a sob. Sigmund gently sat down beside Dapper, holding a medium sized box in his hands. He passed it to Dapper. Dapper looked down at the box. He said nothing. He just stared at the box.

“Don’t be shy, Dapper.” Sigmund encouraged softly. “Just open it.”

Dapper shook his head. He turned to his lover.

“I don’t deserve anything.”

Sigmund was caught off guard by Dapper’s admission. He just stared at Dapper, shocked.

“I… don’t deserve this.. because I’ve done something terrible…”

Sigmund looked at Dapper sadly. He gently wrapped his arm around Dapper’s body.

“What have you done that’s so terrible?” Sigmund asked.

Dapper shook his head again and placed the Memory of Chu in Sigmund’s hands. Sigmund looked at the item in astonishment.

“The Memory of Chu…” Sigmund murmured.

“…You can have it back.” Dapper softly said, voice raw.

“Why…?” Sigmund whispered. “You kept it…”

“I _didn’t,_ Sigmund!” Dapper cried. “I… I threw it into the sea 150 years ago! When you disappeared, I threw all the memorabilia away into the sea! I never wanted to see any of it again because I wanted to forget about it all! If I had taken one look at those things back then, I would have lost it!”

“Lemres helped me to look back at those memories fondly and not with intense resentment, but I still can’t help but think about what would have happened if I had stayed with you and the war never happened… I wish I could have stopped you from going to war with my village… I don’t deserve… your gift… because when you disappeared, you were all I could ever think about. I couldn’t take it… so I…”

Dapper held back a scream by clutching his mouth shut. Sigmund watched as Dapper trembled with emotion.

“I love you, more than my words could ever say. I love you more than my actions could ever express. I love you with every fibre of my being, more than the world could ever know. If… I had to choose between a mortal life and being with you… I would choose you… every time… I don’t need a gift to tell me I have you as a lover.”

Dapper held Sigmund’s head in his hands.

“I love you. I don’t care if I had died and waited 150 years just to see you, to hold you again… I love you.”

Sigmund stared at Dapper in astonishment. He then smiled, and tightly hugged Dapper. Dapper was surprised at Sigmund’s sudden hug, and slowly blinking, he began to relax. He slowly wrapped his arms around Sigmund, returning the hug.

“Dapper… Thank you.” Sigmund whispered. “Thank you for being honest.”

“I know that there have been so many things that have happened before we were reunited… but that no longer matters now. We have all the time in the world… to love each other without any regrets.”

Sigmund pulled away from his lover, smiling.

“For the rest of out lives… let’s just live. Let’s just love.”

He slowly leaned forward and kissed Dapper. Dapper’s eyes widened in astonishment and relief. He closed his eyes and returned the kiss.

“3…”

“2…”

“1…”

Dapper pulled back from his lover in shock as people burst into cheers. Dapper trembled in Sigmund’s arms, looking down on the people of Primp cheering loudly as the Christmas festival began. Accord commanded Arle, Amitie and Ringo to shoot out fireworks of varying sizes into the air. Dapper watched as fireworks shot into the night sky, exploding into a spectacle of colour. Dapper looked up at his lover, who didn’t seem to even flinch.

“You’re not bothered?!” Dapper screamed over the sound of exploding fireworks and loud music.

Sigmund looked down at his lover, smiling.

“I think… this is the start of a new chapter of our lives.” He said.

Dapper let out a soft chuckle, and eventually turned into elated laughter. He shot upward and kissed Sigmund hard on the lips. Sigmund returned the kiss quickly. He was right.

This was the start of a new chapter in their lives. This was the start of their new life…

A life of everlasting love.


	12. The Music Box

“What is in this box?” Dapper asked.

Sigmund and Dapper returned to their cabin after the festival finally finished. It was close to 4 in the morning, but neither Dapper nor his husband was too tired to sleep yet. They were lying in their bed, with the box resting upon it. Sigmund chuckled. Opening the box, he showed Dapper what was inside.

“Oh! It’s a book. And… a music box?” Dapper noted, looking at the items.

Sigmund got out the book. “I was hoping we could write down all the things we do together in this book.” He said. “I already made a start with the first few weeks…” he opened the book, showing the writing on the first page to Dapper.

_I finally got back to my true self._

_After being sealed away for so long… I have finally found my original body at last. He was willing to allow himself to merge with my own body, since we were both compatible… I wonder… if I have his memories…_

“Was that when you were first merged with Sig’s father?” Dapper asked.

Sigmund nodded. “I still remember that day vividly, as if I only managed to merge with him yesterday.” He replied. He then put the book to one side and showed the music box to Dapper, taking it out of the box.

“The music box…” Dapper murmured, holding it in his hands. The box had a gold 's' shaped pattern around the base of the box, a gold border around the top lid, with a purple inlay with a symbol of a sun on the middle. “It looks very beautiful.”

Sigmund gently turned a small handle on the back of the box. It began playing a beautiful lullaby that caught Dapper off guard. As Dapper listened to the music box, tears began to form in his eyes.

“It’s your birthday, isn’t it?” Sigmund whispered softly to Dapper.

Dapper let out a sob. He turned to his lover.

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” he cried.

“I wanted to show you at the festival.” Sigmund said. “But you confessed to me what happened with the Memory of Chu. And after that… we sat down together and watched the fireworks. I must have forgotten about my gift for you…”

“You already gave me one with the Memory of Chu… And I still feel terrible about throwing it away…” Dapper sobbed. “But I told you, you are all I ever want. I don’t care what I get or what happens at this point… All I want is your love.”

Sigmund chuckled warmly, and gently kissed Dapper. Dapper sobbed through his closed mouth as he brought his hands up to hold Sigmund. Pulling away from Sigmund, he smiled through his tears.

“I love you.” He whispered.

Sigmund smiled, and gently put the music box on the bedside table. Kissing his lover again, he lay themselves down on the bed. Stroking his lover’s head, he softly chuckled.

“I still love you after all this time too, you know…” he whispered. He noticed that Dapper was beginning to tear up again. He gently brushed the tears off his lover’s face.

“From this point onward… nothing shall tear us apart. I will make sure of that.”

Dapper chuckled warmly, a smile forming on his face. Taking a deep breath, he said “You’re right, Sigmund… We have all the time in the world.” He leant forward and kissed his lover’s lips. He noticed something familiar about the melody that was playing on the music box.

“That melody… that sounds like a lullaby… that my mother used to sing to me when I was very young…”

“Dapper… would you like to sing that song to me sometime?”

“…? I would happily do so…”

“Thank you… I love you…”

“I love you too, Sigmund… Goodnight.”

Dapper gently kissed his lover on the lips again. Then, he and Sigmund slowly drifted off to sleep… as the melody on the music box became slower and slower… until it finally stopped.


	13. Lemres' Gift

“Sigmund… how did you know my mother’s lullaby when you made the music box?”

Sigmund looked at Dapper and took a deep breath. He opened one of the drawers on the bedside table, and got out a sheet of paper. Dapper saw that the bedsheet was the music to his mother’s lullaby.

“…yes, I always keep sheet music of my mother’s lullaby.” Dapper admitted. “When the page becomes too faded, I always write it down on some newer paper. I guess I really wanted to keep my mother’s lullaby alive. It always helped me go to sleep…”

Sigmund smiled at his lover. “I wanted to use your music to create the tune for my music box. I hope you’re not mad at me for taking it without asking…”

“Oh no, it’s fine!” Dapper retorted. “I think you did a wonderful job of it. I really enjoy hearing my mother’s lullaby on your music box… can I hear it again?”

“The music box? Very well, my love…” Sigmund picked up the music box resting on the bedside table and wound it up. Dapper breathed out slowly as he listened to the music that played from the box. Smiling, he rested his head on Sigmund’s shoulder. Sigmund wrapped an arm around him.

“I want to keep listening to it forever.” Dapper whispered softly. “If only I could narrow down my world to just you and your heartbeat and this wonderful melody….” He nuzzled his lover’s neck. “I want to go somewhere with you… somewhere where it’s just us and this wonderful lullaby…”

Sigmund chuckled. “We already have gone places, haven’t we? There was the hotel we stayed at…”

Dapper looked up at his lover. “You’re right… how about if we go meet some people…?”

Sigmund flinched at Dapper’s suggestion. He thought about it for a moment. “Is there anyone you would like to meet?” he asked him.

“Just… anyone, Sigmund.” Dapper softly responded, kissing his lover’s cheek. “I don’t care if it’s Sig… or Amitie… or Raffina… or Arle and her friends or Ringo and hers… I want to show you everyone.”

Sigmund’s eyes widened. “You must know a lot of people.” He mused.

Dapper smiled, and got out of bed. “I do. I really do.” He chuckled. He gently took Sigmund’s hand.

“I might even get them to do some Puyo Puyo battles with you. Or maybe I could have some with them.”

Sigmund laughed, and got out of bed, still holding Dapper’s hand. “What about your shop though…” Sigmund reminded Dapper. Dapper’s face fell at his lover’s reminder. He sighed.

“Well, maybe we can go around and play with the others after work.” He recommended. “For now though… what shall you do until then?”

“I could hunt for you. I could get you some new meats to try out new recipes.” Sigmund suggested.

Dapper chuckled. “If you can find some animals that I could use that aren’t poisonous, that would be wonderful.” He kissed Sigmund’s lips. He then went out of the bedroom and opened the cabin door. Before he went out, he smiled at his lover.

“I love you.” With that he went out. Not long after, Sigmund got ready to prepare to hunt.

“How have things been with you and your lover?” Lemres asked Dapper. The skeleton had just started his shift at his shop for the day while his husband was out hunting.

“Wonderful, Lemres. After work today, I want him to play with you in Puyo Puyo matches…” Dapper swooned.

“That said, I don’t see him using much of his powers. He could be kind of peaceful.”

“I know… He probably wouldn’t want to frighten me if it turned out he was extremely powerful.”

“I probably wouldn’t say he’s that powerful, Dapper. But I do know what he’s capable of…” Lemres noted. He looked at Dapper, who was leaning on the table, tapping his finger on the counter.

“Oh, sorry… did you say something?” he asked.

Lemres chuckled. “Nothing, Dapper… You know, maybe we could do a few battles together…”

“You and me or… you and… Sigmund?”

“I’m not sure if we can get Sigmund to battle… maybe we can ask him. We can still battle together, though…”

Dapper shook his head. “No, I don’t want to fight you. I just want to see how Sigmund fights in Puyo Puyo matches…”

“Dapper, Sigmund probably wouldn’t want to fight in a Puyo match… though it’s best if you ask him yourself…”

Dapper smiled at Lemres. “Thank you. I’ll probably ask if we could play Puyo Puyo together. I wanted to demonstrate my abilities at the festival… but I couldn’t because I was talking to him about the Memory of Chu… I confessed that I had threw it away into the sea… and I didn’t deserve it… and…”

Dapper trailed off. Lemres looked at him with concern.

“Is everything OK, Dapper?” he asked.

Dapper looked up at his friend. He shook his head.

“It’s nothing to worry about, Lemres. He forgave me, and we settled down and watched the fireworks.”

Lemres got out a large book. Dapper noticed that it was similar to the book that Sigmund gave to him as a present.

“You’re giving me this…?” he asked, baffled.

“I don’t have a use for it. I gave the other books to the Primp students for their own use, except this one. So… I want you to take it.”

Dapper looked at the book in astonishment. Looking up at Lemres, he smiled.

“I’ll maybe write stories about the Primp students… like Amitie, and Raffina, and Sig…”

He chuckled softly. “Maybe I’ll write about myself, too…”

Lemres chuckled. “Well, I’ll just leave ya to it, then.” With that, Lemres left the shop. Dapper smiled down at the book. He chuckled softly to himself.

“Well, maybe I should make a start…” he said to himself. But he will have to wait. He was still on his shift. So, after work, he returned to his cabin. He came upon his lover, fast asleep in his bed. He noticed a large, near overstuffed bag on the floor next to the bed filled with lots of meat and mushrooms for Dapper to use for his dishes and other materials to use in crafting items.

“Worked yourself to exhaustion, sweetheart?” Dapper softly chuckled, stroking Sigmund’s hair. He gently sat down on the bed, smiling. “That’s fine. Maybe we’ll have some Puyo matches tomorrow…” He got out the book Lemres had given him. He then set to work in writing down in his book, gently comforted by the soft snoring of his beloved husband.


End file.
